Obsidian Ridge - Jess Lebow [97]
Their claws scraped at a frantic pace. The waiting had whipped them into a rabid frenzy, and they came for him with a renewed desperation. Shoving and clawing at each other, each seemingly bent on being the first to devour the interloper, each one driven to finish what the others could not.
Upside down, his face covered in splinters of obsidian, Quinn rolled backward until his feet hit the back of Xeries's statue-the beasts grabbing at his heels. With all of his might, he leaped for the opening at the opposite end. His fingers just touched the edge of the torn, jagged stone, but it was enough. Scrambling up, he squeezed through the hole in the wall and tumbled down into the unknown-Xeries's angry minions reaching through the gap, but too big to follow.
In the space behind, Quinn tolled down a short incline, tumbling nearly out of control. Flopping over onto his back, his feet hit the ground with a thud, and he came to a stop in the bottom of a wide, rough-hewn passage, not unlike the ones he'd traversed in the Cellar. He forced himself through the tiny hole so quickly that the broken obsidian gouged large cuts in both of his arms and down the side of his fibs.
Getting to his feet, he examined the passageway.
"Shortcut," he said quietly.
Wiping the blood from his exposed skin as best as he could, he turned and headed deeper into the citadel.
Chapter Thirty
Xeries materialized out of the obsidian wall, a woman in each hand.
"Who does your king think he's dealing with this voice echoing as he dragged Mariko and Evelyne across the floor. "I was perfectly clear about the consequences. Yet he disobeyed me.
"You got what you wanted," said Mariko, struggling against his grip. She was going to enjoy killing him.
Xeries stood as straight as he could, taking a deep breath. "Yes, I suppose I did." He released the two women, and put his hands to the side of his head, rubbing his temples. "Though I had not counted on you having such a piercing voice."
With a wave of his hand, a shower of black sparks appeared in midair. They drifted down onto the princess and Evelyne. "That'll keep you from shouting."
Mariko tried to dodge them, but there were too many, and they seemed to follow her wherever she moved. As soon as the first spark touched her skin, she could feel her throat constrict.
She opened her mouth, a scathing retort ready for the arch magus, but nothing came out. She tried again. Still nothing. Mariko tried to scream, rattling her vocal cords and raising her voice. She spat insults and tried to invoke her spells, but it was no use. She had been silenced.
Xeries pointed at Evelyne, looking at her as if he had just realized she was there. "I did not ask for you." He waved his hand. "Take her from here."
A dozen of the arch magus's servants descended on Evelyne, lifting her from her feet and carrying her away. She struggled, her mouth open and moving, likely trying to spit obscenities at her captors. But like Matiko, she too had been silenced, and she disappeared from the room without a sound.
"That's much better," said the arch magus. Ambling over to his throne, Xeries retrieved a large pouch with something heavy inside. "I hope that as we get better acquainted this sort of thing won't be necessary."
Returning to the princess, he reached inside the sack and pulled out a small, furry animal. It looked like a cross between a hedgehog and a feline-small, round, chubby, covered in fur, and curious. The little creature didn't move much, but it sniffed the air, pointing its beady little eyes first at Xeries then at Maliko.
"This is one of my own personal creations-the mimmio," said Xeries. "It'll allow you to converse with me until I remove your magical gag. You need do nothing more than hold it in your hands. The mimmio can hear your thoughts, and it will repeat them for me to hear." He stroked its fur with his deformed fingers. "Watch."
There